Lenovo T530 Owner's Thread

What does your resource manager show? How is the behaviour of the CPU frequency (blue line)? BTW: I also activated "passive cooling" in my windows energy scheme.
I just read another comment in another T530 forum, this guy had the same machine and the the same experience: no fan in idle, but when CPU or graphics are demanded, the fan turns on (has to, naturally...)

 

No one replied to the color calibration issue for the HD+ display. I understand there may not be a specific calibration profile or ICC profile but can at least someone suggest where the color adjustment should be done to correct for the little bluish tinge? Is it from the Windows settings or Intel graphics and what are the parameters that may need to be adjusted?

Thanks

 

I had a purple tint in my LG HD+ panel. What panel do you have?

You wouldn't be able to correct it with color calibration, the panel itself might be defective.

 

The panel is not defective. This a common issue with all HD+ panels on all T and W models and the description of the color deviation depends on how you see it. Some describe it as purple tint as you did and others see it as a bluish tint like me. Overall, it is a known issue and I thin that some adjustment may make it better but I am not just expert with that and thought someone one who tried it could help.

 

Can someone who did not update his BIOS at all since he got the machine tell me his version of BIOS by number not date?

 

Can I add a 1.35V RAM stick with the existing 1.5V RAM? Will there be issues with mixing different voltages?

I had bought a Corsair RAM already, with a lower latency(9), but the original Samsung RAM (latency -11) runs slower now, so the overall speed is 667 Mhz instead of the 800 Mhz.

 

Sure. No explosion expected.

If you care so much about RAM, spend the money and buy a matching pair of the best characteristics you can find.

 

Thanks. How hard is it to replace the RAM under the keyboard?

I had a hard time putting back the cover for the open RAM slot. It had a very tight fit.

 

Absolutely very easy. Look at the drawings in the Hardware Maintenance Manual to have a good idea about the appropriate "hand gestures."

Open the RAM slot door, then undo the two long screws underneath, near the two edges of the RAM slot opening. Flip the notebook over, open the lid wide and flat (heh heh, showing off a ThinkPad capability). With one hand, focusing on the middle finger, press down firmly but not harshly near the top edge, around key "7", and push forward gently. The bottom edge (Fn key, trackpoint buttons, arrow keys) should come loose and pop up slightly. Lift the whole thing up. Be careful with the cable.

Never use anything to pry the keyboard! The keyboard is never stuck or jammed. It's the hand pressure that is not right.

Removing: press down and push forward. Installing: press down and push backward. Never yank the keys!

 

Thanks for going over the details. I went ahead and ordered the Samsung 1.35V 4Gb RAM. May be in the future, I would try upgrading the RAM under the keyboard.

 

Is there any solution to improve the abysmal sound quality from the internal speakers of the T530? The Dolby advanced audio enhancement doesn't do much.
My 5 year old Vaio's internal speakers sound way better than the T530 speakers. The Vaio has the Sigmatel chip.

The default Microsoft audio driver seems to improve the audio quality a bit, but still the internal speaker volume is very limited even at 100% volume. I could barely hear Skype conversations.

 

Yeah it is my biggest complaint. I hope to perhaps find a software solution to perhaps boost is a bit. It is pretty much useless unless in a really quiet room.

 

Hi everyone, I am still in the process of getting a Thinkpad. I do have some questions before I order:

Is a new T520 with a i3-2350M, 6GB RAM and 1600x900 for $550 a good deal? I know it is a generation older but if it is good then I might be interested.

Also, is a refurbished T520 a good buy? I want one with a high resolution however. Is the 1920x1080 on the T520 a good screen?

My main plan is to stick with purchasing the T530 but I am kind of hung up on the screen resolution. I do a lot of text reading so I need a good screen for that. I also want good colors for the occasional movie. My original plan was to get the 1600x900 resolution, but since I plan on keeping this laptop for a while, I was wondering if the 1920x1080 will be worthwhile.

How is the text on the 1920x1080 screen? Clear text is an important factor in purchasing the laptop.

Also, there have been comments about how the 1920x1080 makes the text look smaller due to the 15.6" screen size. I have not personally seen this resolution on a laptop so I might check it out myself if I can find a store that carries laptops with this resolution.

As long as the text isn't too small, I would be happy. I wear contacts and occasionally my eyes get dry so squinting at small text will be somewhat tiring.

Thank you all.

 

That's a good deal. "A generation older" in this case means, in this case, like, 10% difference in CPU performance. If you get that T520 for typical activities like web surfing, email, document editing, music listening, video clip viewing... then the i3 is good enough.

In many cases, "refurbished" is almost brand new -- it could be "open box" or "in-box return." So, a refurbished T520 can be a good buy.

The FHD 1920x1080 on the T520 is a great screen, definitely.

Cease the doubt/confusion about "small text." Sigh. Windows 7 can set the magnification to 125%. You can set the same in Chrome browser, for example. Beautiful rendition of texts, graphics and images on the 1920x1080 screen. Not only there are more pixels for finer renditions, the brightness, contrast and color fidelity on this screen are superior to those on the HD+ 1900x600 screen.


(Wearing bifocal and typing this on a T520 with 1920x1080 screen.)

 

I placed the order for the T530 with the FHD screen and an I5-3210 CPU, Intel 4000 and Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN. Thanks everyone and especially Kaso.

I went to the store the other day and played around with some 15.6" laptops with 1920x1080 resolutions. They looked very sharp but the text did appear small. The sharpness of the screen made me decide on this purchase along with Kaso's reassurance.

Thanks again.

 

It is a bargain that you have to make. I know how super nice and attractive is the FHD but as you could see the text is very small and for one like with bad eyesight, I cannot live with that and pay the extra money just to enjoy the desktop background. Also, I know that Kaso will advise you to adjust the scale to 125% or something but I do not personally like it because I does not feel right or original. I preferred to get the HD+ and be comfortable working in the machine over the pretty FHD. Do I have remorse sometimes? Yes but I always remember the too small text which makes me ok with what I have. If you especy working on an external display most of the time, the. You should not care either way but ten you have paid an additional $200 for the FHD But it is ok. Just enjoy it.

 

pchome, you make great points. I will have to wait till the laptop arrives and see how it is. I appreciate you sharing your experience. If I feel that it is difficult to use, then I might return it. My original plan was to get the HD+ screen but hearing all the great things about the FHD changed my mind. We will see if that was the right decision or not. I have to deal with the consequences of my decision. Once again, thanks.

 

I have the FHD screen and I love it. It has been really easy to set it up to look perfect even at such a high resolution. I use the "zoom page" extension with Firefox, and usually 110-120% makes web pages look just right. The great thing about that extension is that it remembers your setting for every page. The ability to use the laptop in bright conditions is awesome too. It is such a great looking screen that it was worth every penny to me. Especially when I watch movies.

 

What do I need to do in order to use the WWAN service on my T530 if I only got the 'Integrated Mobile Broadband' option which is described as "Lenovo's upgradable integrated mobile broadband option provides internal slots for your network SIM card and WWAN adapter of choice"?

I did some search and found that I need to install a WWAN card that has to be purchased from Lenovo directly. Is that correct? Also, I found two cards on Lenovo: Qualcomm Gobi 3000 that usually is the upgrade option when ordering a system and there is Qualcomm Gobi 4000 for AT&T. I am not sure which one to get and if the second will only work with AT&T? Also, does these cards work with the Lenovo WWAN service that is provided with the X1C and is it a good service?

 

Hi there, I have tried some adjustment today to get a better color profile for the HD+ display on the T530 because I cannot feel bad anymore when I see the FHD Open the Intel graphics settings by right-clicking on the desktop and choose the advanced mode. From there, find the color enhancements tab and then try to increase the saturation to somewhere in the range of 12-14 (for me 12 or 13 were perfect) and apply. Hope this helps a little and make you feel better about it. Try it and please let me know what do you think so I make sure I am not deceiving myself that it is better?

 

What setting are you changing to this number? I have a purple tint in my T530, the dark blues have a bit of purple tint. The purple color is more pronounced in my HD+ panel. This is with my replacement, the original machine had the same issue with the darker blues.

 

Oh, my bad! I meant the saturation. I have edited my post to reflect that. Try it and let me know if it helps. My colors are much better.

 

So has anyone used both screens - the 1600x900 and the 1920x1080? I chatted with the Lenovo agent and was informed that if I return the laptop to exchange for another, there will be no restocking fee. Hopefully the 1920x1080 will be comfortable. The agent said she can change the order to make the screen 1600x900. For a while I was tempted but I stuck to me original plan.

 

Word of wisdom from one who claims to be expert with now by the ordering process with those guys, never make changes to an existing order. They will keep giving you different promises and your order will be delayed to an unknown period of time to just discover that your order is stuck and is not being processed then you may finally end up getting your order without the change you requested. Just cancel the order, and place a new one with the modifications you want if that is what you are planning to do. From all what you mentioned earlier, I recommend the HD+ and not the FHD for you. No one will ever be able to give you the ultimate advice on this one but this is just based on your hesitation. I would definitely tell anyone to get the FHD even if it was more than $200 upgrade especially if you wanna keep the machine for a while but if you have any hesitation regarding the too small fonts then fortunately, this is not for you.

 

I went ahead and emailed Lenovo about cancelling this order. Hopefully they will do it. After my personal experience with this resolution on the 15.6" and 17.3" screens, the text is simply too small. I would rather not have to zoom in and out constantly but have a resolution that will accomodate everything. Thank you for your comments on this issue.

I'm not sure if I should now order the 1600x900 or not. I will first wait for the cancellation to go through. Who knows, maybe its on the way

 

Go ahead and place your order right now, so they start processing it tomorrow because you probably cannot accommodate additional waste of time. I would not depend on e-mail for cancellation and would call/chat early on Monday with them to cancel it and mention that you have placed another order as you wanted to make changes. They will ask you about the new order number that you will have it if you place your order now. They will then tell you that they will try to cancel your order but it is not guaranteed but even if your order ships, you will be able to return it with prepaid return label and no restocking fees since since you have placed another order. This process is guaranteed, so go ahead and place your new order and make sure of everything you wanna order this time.

 

I just placed the order with the 1600x900. The discount was great as well. My original plan was to get the 1600x900. But I guess it all works out. Once again, I really appreciate it.

 

You're welcome. Enjoy it!

 

Hello,

I wonder if anyone is willing to test speaker quality improvement software for Lenovo Thinkpad W530/T530. I am still waiting for a friend designer to finish the icon for it, and the web page is not ready yet, but the software itself is pretty much in its final form.

If you plan to install it, please read all the warnings and messages that it displays. I measured it against Lenovo W530.

http://yohng.com/files/speakerfix_w530.zip

The executable inside should be digitally signed. The executable itself is both installer/deinstaller and a control panel.

Thanks,
George.

 

Is there a bluetooth module or a wireless N card with bluetooth built in that can be added or replace the existing wifi card? I love me some bluetooth! Just got the T530 for work and I just bought a A10 a month ago, cant wait to compare these two and see how they measure up. Although my work laptop has PGP running and an encrypted HDD, those overhead items always take a little away from performance. thanks for any help on the Bluetooth.

 

Hi,

I did a clean install of Windows 8. I have installed the audio driver (Realtek). I am trying to output audio/video to the TV using a mini-display-port --> HDMI adapter.
I only get video on TV, the audio plays through my laptop speakers. I have successfully used this adapter with Mackbook Pro to output audio/video to the same TV.

Any idea / suggestion?

thanks for your time.

 

I am planning on using my T530 as a desktop replacement (mostly), but ocassionally need to be mobile with it. At times I may run as many as 4 VMs at the same time.

I have a few questions:

1. Quad core i7-3720QM vs. Dual Core i5-3520 (I am leaning toward the quad because of the VMs)
2. Memory -- 8GB or 16GB (Will install myself - any manufacuter or timing recommendations)
3. SSD or SSD + HD - I am looing at getting a 256GB Samsung 830 or Corsair M4; the mSata variants are roughly $40 more expensive than the traditional SSD. If I keep the 320GB HD included with the as-built unit I would likely want to go with the mSata, but not sure what people would recommend. Will 4 VMs beneift from being stored on a sep. disk from the OS disk?

Thanks,

PV

 

1. Quad core.

2. 16GB.

3. VMs on SSD. (The exact drive arrangement is up to you: SSD only, SSD + HDD in UltraBay, mSATA SSD + HDD in main drive, etc.)

 

Some of this depends on the VMs. If the VMs aren't doing a lot, then you may not need a quad. In general though if you are going to be running a workstation environment, you will benefit from the quad. Especially if you are doing any development, video encoding or other CPU intensive tasks.

Definitely 16GB of memory for starters. I had a quad W510 with 16GB of RAM. I will probably upgrade it to 32GB of RAM soon. You should think carefully about the W530 for the same reason. If your VMs are active, they will benefit from more memory.

The T530 and W530 both support 3 storage devices inside the chassis. The mSATA slot is SATA II but plenty fast for the OS and apps if you choose to design the machine in that manner. Then you can use the primary bay, and the Ultrabay for data storage. SSD is still expensive but hard to beat for loading large blobs of data like a VM. If the VMs are very I/O intensive, SSD will be a relief. If the VMs are idling a lot, using a HDD is still a smart choice and lots cheaper.

As for the last question, yes, storing the VM virtual disk files on a separate storage device is smart if there is a lot of I/O activity.

 

I run Linux as my main OS and prefer to run with Intel graphics. Given that the W530 runs all external graphics through the Nvidia part, I settled on the T530 -- that way for presentations I at least have Intel as an option. My work machine is a W520 and I constantly have to switch to Nvidia graphics.

If there was a quad core option w/o the Nvidia part I would have taken that over having the nvidia, but no quad core was configurable w/o the Nvidia part.

 

On the question of memory I have found the following options:

Crucial CL=11 1.35/1.5 dual voltage
Corsair Vengence 10-10-10-27 1.5v
Mushkin - 11-11-11-28 1.35v
Gskill- 10-10-10-? 1.5v
AData - CL=11

Any preferences there? Has anyone ordered directly from Crucial?

On the SSD I am still debating the mSata vs the actual SSD -- I think that will depend on if I keep the original drive or not since I do not have the money to load both an mSata and an SSD -- though perhaps in the future.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

Out of curiosity, why are you constantly switching the Display configuration in the BIOS?

 

I guess constantly was a bad word... I should have said any time I need to give a persentation or demonstration involving an external display.

 

Yep, you can blame Lenovo for the poor Optimus implementation on that one. Drives the Consultants in my company nuts, too. I do know however they would not give up 32GB of RAM for the inconvenience.

 

I have decided to use TPfancontrol two days ago and I did not play with the settings at all (just using the default 'Smart' setting) and the good thing is that I no longer hear the fun every single minute which was so irritating to me but the thing that is worrying me is that the left top part where the processor is is too warm either from the bottom of the machine or the keyboard (I can feel it when typing making me uncomfortable). The fan probably does not kick in till the processor reached around 63 - 65 degree. First, is what I am getting is normal? Second, should I be worried that the CPU is not getting enough cooling? I just do not want to be happy with the dead silent machine (using this software) then be uncomfortable with the heat in that part I mentioned or mess up with the CPU cooling.

Last question: Is good thermal management and having a dead silent machine is such an easy thing like this and can be done in a second, why does not Lenovo do it?!

 

What RPM does the fan run at on Manual Setting 1? What temp? That's usually what I run my thinkpads at.

 

Manual 1 runs the fan at about 2735RPM and a temp of around 40 degree but in this case, the fan runs continuously non-stop which defies the purpose why I installed the software!

Smart would run the fan at the same RPM and a temp around 54 degree but the fan will be dead silent for a very long time before it kicks in at a temp of 63 degree.

Your setting makes the machine cool again but very annoying to have the fan continuously running. My setting (Smart option) makes the fan super quiet but runs the machine too warm. Very confusing! Any help will be appreciated.

 

Yea, that isn't the behavior with the Sandy Bridge models and their BIOS. Or the earlier era ThinkPads. I have read some of the long threads on this topic at the T400 / T500 and newer T series ThinkPad Laptops - Lenovo Community area including a very well written request for change.

I agree with the request. The BIOS and presumably the coming UEFI release has the fan algorithm set too high on the first tier. It should be around 1900 rpm.

 

So, from your experience, what do you advise me to do for now? Just use the BIOS settings without TFC, or if I should use it, do you suggest that I use the 'Smart' option, Manual = 1 or other setting?

 

I would have advised not purchasing the T530 to start with. Let other people be the early adopters and see what problems surface. The fan issue is pretty well documented on the T530, T430, etc.

 

Unfortunately, I had to purchase a machine by that time as I did not have one. The lesson learned is that I should always have a backup machine not to rush decisions. The one million dollar question now is what should be my next machine? PC or Mac and if it is the first, is there really a near-to-perfect machine? If it is the later, is it worth the time and effort I will take to get used to it?

If someone can answer these questions to my satisfaction, I will be grateful for life

 

My t530 cto just got here.

(3610qm with nvs5400 gpu.)

90w power brick works
65w power brick doesn't work

Hope this helps the frequent travelers out there

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

Quad core plus discrete GPU? Of course, 65W power does not work. For that, get an i5 and integrated graphics.

 

Yes I know.

Nevertheless I am delighted that I don't have to carry the 135w monster brick when I travel.

Ideally I would have liked to have a t530 with 3612qm processor (35w).

the e530 comes with 630m dedicated graphics and 3612qm with a 90w power brick. I assume that it also works with 65w power brick

Never figured out why 3612qm processor is not available in the Top series

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

My T530 came with the 1600x900 HD. I absolutely love the display propertied however, I feel like I should have chosen the FHD. Is it possible to buy an aftermarket or Lenovo FHD and replace mine?